9 Decisions We're Happy We Made for Our Kids
Hey friends! Lately, my husband and I have been reflecting on decisions we’re so happy we made with our toddler, and are also planning to make with our baby. (We’ve seen more long term benefits, and less headaches, from these decisions enough to repeat them again!) As usual, there’s absolutely NO judgement towards anyone who chooses to do otherwise because different children require different things, and us mamas know what’s best for our own! Whether you think my decisions may work for your family, or not, I hope you enjoy my sharing!
1. Sleep Training
I know this is a controversial topic to start with, but my husband and I’ve personally seen many benefits from using the Ferber method with our son, and for this reason I feel comfortable sharing my experience. We had a routine in place that eventually had our son confidently self-soothing to sleep for naps and bedtime at 5 months old. (Disclaimer: Although he learned to put himself to sleep, I would ALWAYS nurse/care for him each and every time he woke in the middle of the night.) At 26 months old, we still have a great night time routine! My son sleeps happily through the night from 7pm to 7:30am in his own room, with hardly any tantrums or fights at bedtime. (This could be a whole separate blog post for those that are interested in reading my experience so let me know in the comments way down below!)
2. No added sugar before age 2
I’m not a “mean mom,” I promise, haha! I’m just a mama with some terrible cavity-prone teeth who wants to give her children the best head-start! Having restrictions for your kids in certain aspects of life can mean freedom for them in other aspects! My son may not have had sugar early on, but he now has a wider palette for fruits and veggies then I believe he would have, and for me that’s a win! In regards to food, I’m a strong believer of “everything in moderation,” just not while setting the foundation for my child’s diet in the very beginning.
3. No TV before age 2
I’m so thankful that noone gave me too hard a time about this even though I did see some slightly raised brows, haha! Although many kids do watch TV before two years old, (and survive, haha! See? I make jokes too!), the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no TV before age 2 to help lower the chances of things like ADHD and over-stimulation. Again, absolutely no judgement here! Our motivation for waiting until 2 years old (with limited TV time after age 2) was more so to lay the groundwork towards preferring human interaction over technology. We’ve personally noticed a big difference in our son’s focus and socialization skills, and have had parents who allowed TV earlier tell us they notice it in him too!
4. Teaching manners early on
Manners are something we’ll need to remind our kids to practice over and over as they grow. I think it’s easy for many parents to overlook the benefits of addressing this early on in their child’s lives! However, children absorb things so quickly, and I’m convinced that teaching manners early on, paired with consistency, is the way to go! I’m often pleasantly surprised with how politely my son speaks from being prompted early on, and watching us use kind terms with others like “please and thank you!” Kids will be kids, and it’s not a race to adulthood, but teaching kids to be kind is a beautiful thing!
5. Hands off the electronics
Time and time again, I’ve witnessed countless toddler meltdowns after a parent requested their phone back while their child was playing with it. I early on made the decision to not allow my young kids to hold my phone/tablet to prevent this “constant struggle.” When I do allow my son to watch a show on an electronic, I place it out of hands reach. When it’s time to stop, there’s no physical struggle, and we distract to another activity. I want my kids to have a healthy relationship with technology, and while I know they will eventually learn how to operate an iphone 11…now just doesn’t seem necessary!
6. Independent Time
When my son was around 9 months old, and on a predictable sleeping schedule, I began teaching English to kids in China via the internet! I did this a few hours in the very early mornings, and needed to find a way to occupy my crawling baby! In between classes, I would care for all his needs, (nurse him, change his diaper, etc.) and place him back in his crib awake with books and age appropriate toys! I’d teach my classes, and watch him entertain himself from the baby camera! To this day I have this same system in place where my son spends an hour after waking happily playing in his crib. He is naturally a social fellow, so giving him this independent time early on has taught him the skill of entertaining himself! Ps. I will see how this plays out, and report back once he transitions into a toddler bed!
7. Keeping a move on!
Since the birth of our son, my husband and I have been very intentional about keeping an active “out and about” lifestyle. We continued our normal outdoor routine, which occasionally included taking long road trips in the car to visit family. We believe this time spent in the car established a good relationship with him in his carseat. Although some babies just don't like the carseat, (and mamas, my heart goes out to you!!) I believe their chances of enjoying it is greater if you start them in the car early on!
8. Encouraging them to speak for themselves
If you know my husband and me, we are very outgoing, friendly people! We say hi to the mailman, have a secret handshake with the UPS guy, we help strangers in the street, and random lost children locate their parents! (True story on three separate occasions! Storytime, anyone?) When it comes to others making conversations with our son, we’ve always encouraged verbal responses back from him. We don’t force a response if he’s shy, and we have boundaries set in place for some healthy “stranger danger.” We just give him the green light to interact, and maybe a few red lights when necessary! I believe doing this has only encouraged his confidence, street smarts, and appropriate engagement with other people!
9. Read a lot of books
We’ve all heard that reading books to your children at a young age has many benefits including helping their language development! Sometimes it’s hard to find the time to sit your child down and read books, (I’ve been there!) but having a routine in place can really help! We not only gained precious moments from reading together, but we planted many seeds for learning and imagination that we are currently watching grow!
Thanks for reading 9 decisions we’re so happy we made for our children! I hope it helps any new mamas, or any current mamas consider what works best for their family! Since I did not include a number 10, what beneficial decision are YOU happy you made for your child? Leave it in the comments below! I know we’d all like to hear! As always, you can leave any requests for future blog posts in the comments! Enjoy your day, and thanks for stopping by!
Cool, Mom, and Collectedly Yours,
